You dont get it. You think it is all about dollars and cents, and you insist on removing the personal "quirks" of the people involved. I am that person who cannot get past the prices. One meal? Yes, I can order whatever I want and not think about the cost of each item. A week of dining? Not in this lifetime can I look at a steak that costs $42 and give myself permission to order it. I will order the pork chop or the chicken. I can afford whatever I want, and I know that, but I just cannot bring myself to do that. A gift card? That is money to me. What is a perfect solution for most people is not a viable method for me. I spent too many years pinching pennies to make sure my family had what they needed and wanted to just allow myself to be free and easy spending money. I know at home I cook lean meats all year long, and I hate to cook beef, but I like it. I am generally going to order it if I know I have already allocated the funds. I won't if I did not do so. I love Starbucks venti beverages with 4 shots extra. I am as cheap as they come, so these are a treat for me. I know I will talk myself out of that 2 pump mocha latte, extra shots if I had to whip put my Starbucks gift card, but a snack credit that I allocated $5 for, and now my snack is really $8? Yay for me! Yes, I prepaid my trip when I add a
DDP, but I did so with a motive. I get a lovely sense of accomplishment when I bargain hunt at home, stretch my food dollar and still manage plentiful healthy food for my family. I do not want to vacation with that mindset though, but some peopl just cannot turn it off. So I don't. I look at menus, make dining plans, and run a sheet that shows what I speculate my family will order, the same way I know where they like to stay, and how they want to tour.
I am pretty stinkin' lucky. My family is grown, I am married to a man who thinks the best things in life involve indulging his family's and we both save for a vacation experience that not only is fun for all of us, but that takes into consideration the sensitivities of all of us. We are pretty darn good at managing money, and we did nto get to the stage we enjoy now becuase we blithely made decisions that were "feel good". WE really do know what we are doing.